I WILL SHOW HIM HOW MUCH HE MUST SUFFER FOR MY NAME
Acts 9:1-31
Key verses: 9:15, 16
But the Lord said to Ananias, “Go! This man is my chosen instrument to carry my name before the Gentiles and their kings and before the people of Israel. I will show him how much he must suffer for my name.”
American philosopher Nicholas Wolterstorff, who lost a son in a climbing accident, says in his book Lament For a Son: “God is love. That is why he suffers. To love our suffering world is to suffer...The one who does not see God's suffering does not see his love. So, suffering is down at the centre of things, deep down where the meaning is. Suffering is the meaning of our world. For love is meaning. And love suffers. The tears of God are the meaning of history.”
God set the purpose clear to save all mankind including Gentiles. He comes up with a plan to call his own instrument that fits into his perfect plan. It was Saul who had been zealous for his own name. He was the last person who people even would like to look at. But God chose him out of His unfathomable love and forgiveness. God set him apart for the single purpose to carry God's name to Gentiles. Praise the Lord!
Read 7:58-8:3; 9:1-2. What do you know about Saul (Acts 22:1-5, Philippians 3:4-6)? What impact did the death of Stephen have on Saul? What was Saul’s purpose in going to Damascus?
* He was born and brought up in the city of Tarsus of Cilicia. He was circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; in regard to the law, a Pharisee; as for zeal, persecuting the church; as for legalistic righteous, faultless (Philippians 3:4-6)
* Saul thought that he won the battle against Stephen. But it was a victory of merely a physical battle. Saul lost a spiritual battle. When Stephen cried out, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them.” Saul must have been affected by Jesus' sin forgiving love on the cross. Although he had been diligently persecuting the church, this voice continued to reside in his subconscious.
God won the spiritual battle against him. He is now about to surrender himself to the Lord and his divine love. God's faith, hope and love upon him never failed!
*in order to find Christians and take them as prisoners to Jerusalem
2. Read verses 3-9. What happened to him as he neared Damascus? How does Jesus’ visit show God’s one-sided grace (1Ti 1:15b; 1Co 15:10, Ro 5:8)?
*Suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him and he fell to the ground and heard a voice say to him, “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?” “Who are you, Lord?” Saul asked. “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting,” he replied. “Now get up and go into the city and you will be told what you must do.” He met the risen Jesus in person.
*So far Saul had lived before people's eyes. He did everything to feed his pride and satisfy his selfish ambition. He ended up becoming a man who should not exist in the world. But the Risen Jesus visited Saul first and said to him, "Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?" The Risen Jesus visited him so that he might come to know God and know himself. Jesus is God. But he humbled himself and visited this murderer Saul first. It is truly amazing that he visited such a person. God powerfully demonstrate his love while he was the worst sinner. He always remembered Jesus' love in his mission life. The Risen Jesus visited Saul and forgave all of his sins unconditionally. This is God's one-sided grace. After meeting Jesus, he could see himself with God's eyes and said, "Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners--of whom I am the worst" (1 Ti 1:15b). After meeting Jesus personally, God's grace was the meaning of his existence. He said, "By the grace of God I am what I am" (1 Cor.15:10).
Read verses 10-19a. Who was Ananias and what did the Lord tell him to do? Why did he hesitate? What did the Lord tell him about Saul? How did Ananias help Saul? What does this show about his faith?
*Ananias was a disciple in Damascus. He was available whenever the Sovereign Lord was in need.
He was a man of “Yes” all the time. As a result, the Holy Spirit was able to use
him preciously.
* “Go to the house of Judas on straight street and ask for a man from Tarsus named Saul, for
he is praying. In a vision he has seen a man named Ananias come and place his hands on Him
to restore his sight.”
*Because he had heard many bad reports about Saul.
*The Lord said to him, “Go! This man is my chosen instrument to carry my name before
the Gentiles and their kings, and before the people of Israel. I will show him how much he
must suffer for my name.”
*He absolutely and simply obeyed what Jesus told him to do. He was a mature servant who
was ready to co-work with the Lord. He called him as his dear brother in Jesus.
He set aside his own feeling or fear and fully accepted him as a dear
brother with Jesus' mind and divine love. He was a self less and God centered man.
4. Read key verses 15-16 again. How did the Risen Christ see Saul? What mission did the Risen Christ give Saul (Ro 1:5, Galatians 1:15, 16)? What does this teach about his purpose in saving Saul? How much must he suffer for Jesus' name (2Co 11:23-27)?
* “my chosen instrument”: God has hope for him and a plan to use him. Without meeting Jesus he used to be like a robber's knife. But now he had become a useful instrument like a surgeon's knife.
* “to carry my name before the gentiles”: Jesus gave him a clear life purpose, meaning, and mission. He met Jesus in person and discovered Jesus’ will. Saul boldly testified of his calling throughout his books.
* To use Saul’s life. Saul’s purpose of life was changed: now it was to exalt Jesus' name, instead of exalting his own name according to his vain pride or righteousness as a Pharisee. His clear purpose in the Lord ignited his zeal in the right direction so much that nobody could weaken or intimidate him. He became a spiritual bulldozer to cultivate the hearts of Gentiles, Kings, and the Jewish people.
*He was not born as a man who loves to suffer. But when Saul met the Risen Jesus (who gave
him real life meaning and true resurrection hope in him) he became a bold man of suffering.
In other words, he could not set his hope in this world any longer; instead, he set his hope in Jesus.
So he realized that it was the opportune time for him to participate in Jesus' remaining sufferings, in order to fulfill Jesus' last command to make disciples among all nations. He was always thankful in that Jesus had given him a meaningful mission and purpose to serve his will.
5. Read verses 19b-25. What did Paul do after his conversion? How did his listeners respond? What happened to Saul (Galatians 1:17, 18)? What kind of opposition arose? How did Saul escape?
*At once he began to preach in the synagogue that Jesus is the Son of God. He had no second thought; rather he became a bold Bible teacher. Verse 22 says that he grew more and more powerful and proved that Jesus is the Christ. When he met the Risen Jesus in person, he became a totally different person who was then filled with the Spirit of God.
* The listeners were amazed.
* He had spent three years in Arabia in order to build up a personal love relationship with Jesus and deepen his sense of mission before the Lord instead of asking for approval from others.
*the Jews planned to kill him.
*But his followers took him by night and lowered him a basket through an opening in the wall.
It was like the movie entitled “Mission Impossible.” It was swift enough to outwit Satan's scheme.
6. Read verses 26-30. Why was it hard for Christians in Jerusalem to accept Saul? Who helped him though? Read verse 31. What happened to the church?
*Verse 26 says that he tried to join the disciples. But they were not ready to welcome him. Only
Peter and James (a brother of Jesus) recognized his conversion.
*God prepared a man of encouragement called Barnabas to introduce him very well.
Barnabas was known as a good and generous man among them. An example of this is pointed out in Acts 4:36-37 which says that he sold his estate and brought the money and put it at the apostles' feet. He warmly introduced Saul and corrected the Christians’ prejudice.
*The church throughout the Judea, Galilee and Samaria enjoyed a time of peace.
It was strengthened and increased in number.
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